In The Aftermath
by MyOwnWorstCritic
Summary: Pregnant. Pregnant and with Mack stuck in a robot-controlled framework. Perfect. Mack/Elena, spoilers for 4x15.


this idea was loosely based off a fic I read by theclaravoyant

Go read their stuff!

As usual, Spanish translations can be found in the end notes.

* * *

She's on the Zephyr when the symptoms begin. Daisy apologises for being a terrible pilot when Elena throws up. Simmons yells at Daisy to be more careful when Elena becomes dizzy.

It's not until she faints that Jemma gets worried and runs some tests. She doesn't know why she should have expected something different; she comes from a large family and she is familiar with the symptoms but she's still not ready to hear it.

 _Pregnant._

Pregnant and with Mack stuck in a robot-controlled framework. _Que bien._

While Daisy and Simmons conduct their research and try to figure out a way to save the team from Aida, she reads up on pregnancy and how to take care of herself. She's at a loss about the baby's DNA—will it be inhuman or not?—but Daisy and Jemma are helpful and they try so hard to keep her calm and relaxed.

They take shifts in making sure she drinks enough water and eats well, and their concern for her health is really touching but there is nothing they can do about her emotional health and she knows she's getting hormonal but all she wants is Mack.

He would know what to say to her and he would know exactly how to soothe all her fears but now he's part of the fear and she doesn't even want to think about what will happen if Daisy and Jemma can't save him.

* * *

The day she hits 13 weeks, they figure out how to get the team out from Aida's hold.

They drop her off in Los Angeles with strict instructions to take care of herself. She has half a mind to protest but she can feel the life growing inside her and she doesn't want to risk her baby's health so she begrudgingly goes home and follows their instructions.

Daisy calls her two days later, but her voice doesn't sound as elated as Yo Yo had expected. She feels the world drop away from her, but Daisy is saying that they're alive, "Yo Yo, they are all alive, they are okay," but she doesn't believe it.

Daisy shows up the next day looking worse for wear and again dread settles around her because what is Daisy doing here and where is Mack.

Daisy sits her down on the couch and explains everything to her but only a few things stick.

Mack is alive but he's not okay.

Mack had his daughter Hope in the simulation.

Mack is devastated to be back.

Mack begged to leave him in the framework.

And even though Daisy says "he just needs time, he will be okay", she's not sure if she believes it.

A cold sadness wraps itself around her heart and she suddenly feels like she can't breathe. The sheer overwhelmingness of it all brings tears to her eyes and Daisy looks a bit uncomfortable because she has never seen Elena cry.

"Simmons said they're all being kept and watched in a super secret hospital to let them heal. May is also not doing too well."

It's quiet for a few beats, and just when Daisy opens her mouth to say something, Elena cuts her off, "I don't want to see him."

"Yo Yo..." Daisy's eyes are so sympathetic, and if Elena had looked for more than a second she would have seen that Daisy is also heartbroken.

"I cannot tell him about this if he's..." She doesn't want to finish that sentence, doesn't think she can, her voice going quiet and it feels like someone has tied a knot with her throat.

"They'll be okay," Daisy whispers to her and it feels like they're children, desperate for a miracle, wishing upon a star. "They have to be."

Daisy stays with her for over a month and Elena has to admit that it's nice having her around. She's a bit concerned that Daisy is dealing with her emotions by substituting them with food, but she's not going to say anything if it's not a problem.

* * *

Simmons flies out to LA on the Zephyr for Elena's 18-week ultrasound and check up. Elena tries to insist that she can see a regular OB/GYN but Daisy immediately objects to it, reminding her that she's inhuman and this is not an ordinary pregnancy and Jemma begs to let her do this for Elena. She says that she feels helpless in everything but she can help Elena with this, so the woman sighs loudly and agrees to it.

When they meet Simmons on the Zephyr, Jemma looks exhausted, and she's lived with Daisy long enough to know that she'll say so, so Elena pinches her before Daisy gets a chance to say anything.

"How is it going?"

"I am hungry all of the time," Elena answers.

"Brings a whole new meaning to hangry," Daisy mumbles.

"You were already eating a lot before due to your heightened metabolism, so that's perfectly normal. Do you ever feel dizzy or lightheaded?"

"No."

"Still having morning sickness?"

"No."

Simmons gestures for her to lie down and lift her shirt. She's wearing a baggy shirt, and it's barely noticeable that she's pregnant, but when she lifts the shirt, you can see the outline of where her baby is growing inside her perfectly clear and both Daisy and Jemma go slack-jawed.

She smiles a little in response. She's been keeping track of how big her abdomen is getting, but she hadn't wanted to really share it. It made her feel guilty, somehow, that Mack wasn't being allowed this experience with her.

Simmons squirts some cold gel on her stomach and before she has a chance to hiss or yelp at the cold, Simmons is pressing the device against her skin.

Within moments a clear heartbeat resonates around the small room they're in.

"Your baby's heartbeat is strong, Elena," Jemma comments and she bursts into tears.

She cries because her baby is healthy and strong and she's _so angry_ because it's all so unfair. This isn't the future she'd pictured with Mack, she was never supposed to do this without him, and Mack deserves a second chance at being a father but now he's stuck in a world where he's lost his daughter for a second time and she's listening to their baby's heartbeat alone and everything is so wrong. She feels selfish for wanting and needing him with her but she's so grateful to God for this child, this gift, and she feels so conflicted.

Jemma doesn't know how to react but Daisy has experience with Elena's extreme emotions, leaves her be, knows she doesn't want to be coddled or comforted.

"Hmmm," Jemma says, staring closely at the screen and moving the wand around a bit.

"What?" Daisy asks, picking up on the change in tone.

"Yo Yo, would you like to know the gender of your baby?"

Elena looks grief-stricken all over again, but she doesn't cry. All she says, in a small, shaky voice, is "I don't know."

"I'll make a mental note and if you ever want to know you can just ask me. Is that okay?"

Elena nods and smiles at her.

* * *

Daisy sticks around. Elena thinks it's because she is equally unready to visit any member of the team that was in the framework, but she completely understands and she's happy to have Daisy around.

A quick conversation late one night puts Daisy back on the right path food-wise and they reach an understanding.

It's two weeks after her ultrasound with Simmons, they're on one of their daily walks around the neighbourhood, when Elena stops walking mid-sentence. Her hand has been resting on her growing stomach for almost an hour now, and she's told Daisy she can feel the baby inside her but she's suddenly felt the baby _move_.

She's overwhelmed by the feeling of love and affection and Daisy stays quiet, just watching and gauging her reaction.

"Can I borrow your phone?" Elena asks, voice thick with emotion.

"I left it at home, just like I do every day, like I promised," Daisy says, crossing her arms.

Pregnant Elena is just as, if not more, sarcastic than regular Elena, so her response is to arch an eyebrow, move her idle hand to her hip and drawl, "Daisy Johnson."

Daisy rolls her eyes and unzips her hoodie, reaching for an inside pocket Elena did not know was there and retrieving her cellphone, handing it over to Elena.

"Mentirosa," Elena says, but she's smiling and dialling Simmons' number.

"What, like I was gonna leave the house with a pregnant lady and no way of communicating with the outside world? What if something happened to you?"

Elena simply rolls her eyes and waits for Simmons to pick up.

"Daisy? What's wrong? Is Elena okay?"

"Relax, Jemma, I am fine."

"Oh. Okay. Good."

"I want to know if it is a boy or a girl."

Daisy's eyes go wide at Elena's words, excitement bleeding into her whole posture as she starts bouncing on her toes.

"You're having a boy."

"Thank you Jemma," Elena says before hanging up.

Daisy is buzzing with excitement, and Elena tortures her, makes her wait for it.

"Well?!"

"Boy."

Daisy squeals so loudly, the guy mowing his lawn three houses down looks up at the sound. Daisy wraps her arms around Elena in a quick hug, briefly forgetting that Elena is still a bit sensitive about being touched, before pulling back and spiralling into uncontrollably excited words.

"Boys are so great, ohmygod, he's going to he so cute. Can you imagine? Oh man..." Daisy is so excited it inflames Elena's own excitement.

She's more or less figured out how to compartmentalise and she is finally enjoying being pregnant and having Daisy around to share these moments with her reminds her every day that this baby— _her son_ —is a gift.

"Let's go home. I'm sure you want to be with your computer now," Elena sasses and Daisy doesn't complain because she's right.

* * *

It's been three days since she found out she was having a boy and Daisy has been insufferable. Elena thought that Daisy was annoying when she read five parenting/baby books the first week they lived together but this? This is a new record. Daisy has been leaving her little post-it notes with baby boy names on them. Each name has its meaning scribbled with it, and Daisy has been paying extra attention to biblical names. It would be cute if it wasn't so damned annoying.

It's weird but she and Daisy have settled into a domestic routine, and they're sitting in the kitchen one morning, having breakfast, when the call comes.

She's been dreading it for months, but she knew she couldn't live in this bubble forever, so when Jemma says, "He's been asking for you," she's not entirely surprised and she's proud that she doesn't completely break down.

"What is he saying?"

"He's been asking to see you."

It's like an ice monster has its hands wrapped around her heart, she's suddenly extremely cold and shivering and she can't speak because all she feels is numb.

Her hand instinctively goes to the swell of her abdomen, and out the corner of her eye she can see Daisy look over her with a concerned gaze.

"How is he doing?" she asks because she needs to know. She hasn't asked that question a single time in the past 9 weeks since the team has been 'back' but she needs to know that answer before she sees him.

"A lot better. He's still grieving Hope but he's asking for _you_. He's being quite adamant about wanting to see you."

"Okay." Daisy's head snaps up at that. "I will come see him, but I just need a little bit of time."

"Take all the time you need, Yo Yo."

She hangs up and looks at Daisy, and she can see in the woman's eyes that she understands, so Elena gets up and goes to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

She crawls back into bed and curls up, hands on her stomach and she just starts talking. She starts telling her baby about Mack, and how they met. She cries when she tells the kidnapping story, about how she left the Zephyr and her sole goal was to learn English so she could talk to this gorgeous man. She talks about his kind eyes, and his soft touches. His caring disposition, always looking out for her, always ready to protect her. She talks about watching movies and hanging out, about their first kiss, their second, their third. She talks about how he makes her laugh, and that he makes her feel loved. She talks about Miami, and how losing her closest friends almost made her break down but he was there, angry at her but there, with her.

Elena sobs but she talks to her baby, rubbing her hand over her skin but it doesn't feel like her skin, it feels like she's finally connecting with her child.

"No puede esperar para conocerte, mi hijo. Pase lo que pase, pero te amo para siempre."

* * *

Two days later she's standing in the hallway of a super secret hospital, ready to bolt. It would be so easy to just go back to LA, live a—what she now realises is a bit strange—domestic life with Daisy, raising her son and never looking back but she can't.

 _She loves him._

And it took her this long to figure out but she, Elena Rodriguez, is in love with him, Alphonso Mackenzie, and she can't leave him, even if he might not want her or her— _their_ , her traitorous heart reminds her—baby.

She's become familiar with the ice monster living inside her, the one that seems to have a constant grip on her heart.

She's still not really showing, and she can still hide her baby bump with loose clothing. Daisy had gotten a little concerned after Googling what a 22-week pregnant woman is supposed to look like but a quick ultrasound by Simmons confirms that Baby is healthy and doing well, just comfortably nestled under Elena's ribs and preferring to cuddle and smush closely together with her organs rather than move and have more space.

"Tell me about it," Elena mumbles with a hand on her son and Jemma looks at her with questions in her eyes.

"She's been peeing a lot," Daisy quickly clarifies with a giggle that earns her a very pointedly arched eyebrow.

The fact of the matter is that Elena can still somewhat hide her pregnant body. She's wearing a very loose-fitting sweater and a pair of jeans. She's overly conscious of how she moves as she walks the corridor of the hospital, counting down the numbers until she stops in front of 22. _Ha, qué divertido_.

She knocks on the door softly, emotions raging through her, and he opens the door. He's beaming at her and he looks so happy to see her that she has to break his heart and refuse a hug from him because if he pulls her close he will feel the change in her body and she needs to tell him on her terms.

He looks puzzled and a little disappointed when she dodges away from his hug, but she steps forward and lays her hands on his hips to keep him a bit away before standing on her tiptoes and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

His lips are soft and his hand on her neck is gentle and she feels so overwhelmed at being in his arms again that she feels tears prick in her eyes. She quickly blinks them away—because god why does this baby make her cry all the time?—focuses on the feeling of her thumb stroking his jaw and cheek as she looks at him properly.

"I've missed you, Yo Yo," he says and there isn't an accusation to it, she knows he's being honest.

"I have missed you too, Mack," she replies softly, before pushing him further into the suite to close the door behind her.

He gestures over to the table and she looks at the two chairs with slight trepidation. If she sits down, she'll have to tell him about the baby because he will notice that she can't get up without struggling a bit.

"Daisy told me about... Hope," Elena says softly, avoiding his eyes.

"It was difficult coming back. The Framework gives you everything you want and I had a Hope who got to grow up and be a kid."

"Everything you want," Elena echoes his words, avoiding his gaze and suddenly fighting the urge to lay her hand on her stomach. She feels her heart drop away from her body, the familiar ice monster yanking at it again.

He doesn't respond to that— _can't_ —so she doesn't press further.

"They told me you begged to be put back under." Elena substitutes rubbing her baby bump with fidgeting with her shirt.

Mack's hand covers hers and she panics for a brief moment, but she looks up at him.

"It wasn't real, and I know that. I want to be here. In this world."

"¿Conmigo?" Elena whispers.

"Yes." His smile is soft and comforting, and he stares her down to make sure she sees it. She can't look away, can't look away from him because he's finally in front of her and doing _okay_ and she's not sure how to respond other than with a small smile.

She waits a few beats, trying to calm her racing heart and to settle her words into a coherent English sentence.

"Then I have something to tell you."

Mack doesn't ask, doesn't inquire anything, but Elena pulls a small photograph from her inner jacket pocket and slides it over to him.

The picture is grainy but it's clearly a sonogram and scrawled in Jemma's doctor's handwriting is 'baby Rodriguez Mackenzie'.

He stares at it and stares at it and stares at it and doesn't respond. She's not sure what kind of reaction she had expected, but she had at least expected a reaction, not _this_. She wants to bolt, wants out, she can feel the walls closing in on her and the need to get out is so big that even though she struggles a bit, she pushes up out of the chair and is ready to leave when his hand wraps around her wrist to stop her.

"You're pregnant?" he asks, voice thick with emotion. She turns to look at him and he's got tears in his eyes.

"Yes."

He lets out a strangled sob and she's not sure what to do.

He knows now about Baby, so she finally lets her left hand drop to her ever expanding belly to rest there, protectively and instinctively. His gaze intently follows the path of her hand and he looks devastated as he watches where it lands.

She can see him valiantly attempt to blink away the tears pooled in his eyes, but he's failing, and they track wet trails down his cheeks.

"Yo Yo, I'm sorry—I…"

She doesn't hear the rest because it's not what she expects. She yanks her wrist from his grip and takes a step back, a step away from him, and now there are tears in her eyes. She feels pressure on her chest, the ice monster still with a firm grip on her heart, and she can't breathe. She can't breathe, she didn't expect this reaction from him and _she can't breathe._ This is the exact situation she'd been so afraid of.

"Elena," he says firmly, standing up.

He reaches out, but she sees it and her "¡no me toques!" is immediate so he drops his arm by his side.

It doesn't feel like she's crying but she must be because when her hand comes away from her face it's wet with her fallen tears.

He's looking at her, a mix of bewilderment and confusion and she has to get away. She needs to go as far away as possible and pretend that this isn't happening, pretend that she will be okay and fine, and she needs to go raise her son by herself.

She must be crying really loudly because it takes her a while to hear his repeated calling out of her name, to hear his voice through the rush, staticky sound of her heartbeat in her ear.

"Elena, stop!"

Her eyes snap up to meet his, and he's frowning. He's _really_ frowning, and it makes her frown. ¿Por qué frunce el ceño?

"You didn't let me finish," he says and his voice sounds so heartbroken, and he looks so confused. He looks near tears again but she's not sure whether that's just her imagination. "This is good, Yo Yo. This is good news," he insists.

" _I_ know that," she snaps quickly, emphasis on herself, and it's followed by a short hiccup.

His words start filtering and processing through her brain and her breathing calms down, and she frowns because she's not sure she heard him right.

"Can I touch you?" he requests and her nod is minuscule but it's there, so he steps closer to her and gently wraps one of his hands around her bicep and curls the other around her neck to keep her gaze on him.

"Elena," he starts, but she's still breathing shallowly and flight is winning out inside her. "I just needed a minute to process things. I'm happy. This is good news."

"You think this is good news," she says, repeating his words as they slowly sink in. He's watching her so closely, refuses to let her look away from him and his face is open, eyes soft with admiration.

"Yes. I was just confused for a second because it feels like the last time I saw you was forever ago, but this is very good news. We're having a baby," he reassures and can feel her bicep twitch and relax.

She's not fully calm yet, and he wants to fix that. He sits back down on the chair he'd been in earlier and pulls Elena closer, his hands on her hips and he can feel the change in her and suddenly the action of her pulling away and avoiding a hug makes sense to him.

Her mind is hazy and actions a bit slow but his words keep reverberating through her head—we're having a baby, we're having a baby, _we're_ _having a_ _baby_ —so she just follows him and lets him pull her into his lap.

"I'm sorry for freaking you out," he starts, wrapping an arm around her. "You must have been so afraid to tell me."

"Lo siento por exagerar," she mumbles in reply. She wraps her arms around his neck and leans in close to hug him. He buries his face in her hair and tightens his grip on her, smiling into her hair and happy to finally just be holding her.

"Lo siento que tuvieras a hacer esto solo," he says, words choppy but she understands what he's trying to say. "And I understand why you didn't want to come see me before."

Her heart finally feels like her own again, beating at a normal rhythm. "I wasn't ready," she admits softly, avoiding his eyes, instead looking down at where his hand is pressed against her hip and subsequently against the side of her baby bump.

"Man, I was stupid, saying stuff like the framework gave me everything," he says, and there's an angry tinge to it, he's already beating himself up over it.

"You didn't know," she firmly asserts, hand coming up to stroke the side of his face.

"But it can't have been easy…"

"I managed." She wants to say something else but suddenly she feels a twitch coming from her belly. She smiles down at the baby bump, hand shifting over her stomach to feel specifically where the twitch is coming from.

"Are you okay?" Mack asks, watching her react to the baby inside her.

"Hiccups," she says simply, and he briefly frowns because she doesn't have the hiccups but then— _oh_. She doesn't think twice about reaching for his hand and pressing it firmly to the side of her baby bump.

She's overwhelmed with feelings as she watches him. His hand is pressed over their baby, he's smiling and it's all going to be okay. She almost wants to cry again, but she doesn't, just basks in the calm, serene feeling of being _alright_ when ten minutes ago she'd felt like fainting.

He lifts his gaze and he locks eyes with her. "I love you, Elena," he says, and it's with so much feeling packed behind it that tears spring to her eyes, despite her adamant refusal to acknowledge them.

"I love you too, Mack."

"Baby is healthy and everything?" he asks once the hiccupping slows down a bit.

She nods, "Simmons says we are both perfectly healthy." She comes to another realisation, one she addresses immediately, "Do you want to know the sex?"

"You already know?" he asks and she nods. "Then, yes."

"Boy."

Mack positively beams at her. His smile is so wide, it reaches his ears and makes his eyes crinkle. "Really?"

"Simmons says so." She shifts in his embrace, and moves to shrug off her jacket. Before he knows what's happening, she's also pulled her shirt off over her head and is sitting in his lap clad in jeans and her bra but he's not focused on that, he's focused on the now very clear outlined bump. He's not sure how he missed it earlier, knows he was distracted by finally getting to see her that he hadn't looked closer.

"We're having a son," he says, voice light and filled with wonder.

He kisses her, and all the emotions that had been swirling around her, settle into tranquility as she kisses him back.

* * *

17 weeks later, Elena gives birth to a healthy baby boy who's a week earlier than planned and Mack cries when his son is placed in his arms for the first time. Five days later, when the doctors send a healthy Elena and a healthy baby home, Mack cries again. Technically, Simmons was the first to meet baby, as she was at the delivery, but the first person they invite is Daisy.

The woman is happy but hesitant when they place him in her arms, and she carefully holds the sleeping newborn.

"What's his name?"

Elena and Mack share a glance that makes Daisy slightly suspicious.

"David John Mackenzie."

Daisy beams at them, smile a bit smug. "You picked one of my names!" she whispers excitedly.

"We picked both of your names," Elena clarifies, but it makes Daisy frown.

"But I didn't pick John," she explains, confusedly.

"You're my partner, Daisy," Mack starts. "You took care of Yo Yo when I couldn't be here." Elena smiles as she leans back into Mack's embrace. "You took care of my son when I couldn't, and I appreciate and respect that."

"David _John_ Mackenzie, meet Daisy _Johnson_ ," Elena says, emphasising the words so obviously, she'd be concerned if Daisy still doesn't get it.

Daisy looks down at the baby in her arms and feels a lump in her throat.

"You named him after _me,_ " she whispers softly, staring down at the tiny human, voice cracking with emotion.

Elena looks over at Mack, his face joyful and so full of excitement. The past year was tough, but they'll make it. He seems to feel her eyes on him and he turns to lock gazes with her, smile widening even more and she returns the sentiment.

Daisy is cooing at the slowly awakening baby, so Elena moves closer and quickly presses her lips against his, mumbling "te amo" against his lips.

"I love you too," he whispers in her ear and pulls her close.

Their moment is interrupted by a squeal, one Daisy tries to suppress but fails miserably at, and they turn to look at the pair.

"I'm sorry, he's just so cute," she quickly apologises but she's staring down at the baby as she says it so they both laugh.

"Let's talk about you becoming David's godmother," Mack starts and Daisy's surprised intake of breath is enough to settle any remaining doubts Elena had, and makes her realise that everything will be okay because they have all the time in the world.

* * *

Que bien = How great

Mentirosa = fibber/bad liar

No puede esperar para conocerte, mi hijo. Pase lo que pase, pero te amo para siempre = I can't wait to meet you, my boy. Whatever happens, I will always love you

Ha, qué divertido = Ha, how funny

¿Conmigo? = With me?

¡no me toques! = don't touch me!

¿Por qué frunce el ceño? = Why is he frowning?

Lo siento por exagerar = I'm sorry for exaggerating

Lo siento que tuvieras a hacer esto solo = I'm sorry you had to do this alone

te amo = I love you


End file.
